


Drove All Night

by Gozufucker



Category: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, Caules and Kairi are at the end, Fluffy?, I just think Mordred and Fran are neat, Kissing, Maybe I'll do sequel pieces, Mordred deserves a motorcycle, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Mordred, Other, motorcycle, perspective shift, wish AO3 had better tags for NB relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 04:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14561112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gozufucker/pseuds/Gozufucker
Summary: The Red and Black factions have entered a temporary ceasefire right at the start of the grail war, giving the servants a chance to relax and mingle. This story happens a few weeks after this ceasefire begun...





	Drove All Night

**Author's Note:**

> This work is tagged as "other" due to my personal choice to write Mordred with them using they/them pronouns.

_01:12 AM, Fortress of Millenia._

This ceasefire was... Unexpected, to say the least. Yet Fran chose not to question it, after all, it didn't concern her. She was still fed with magical energy and she could enjoy the peace and quiet as most of the Servants of Black spent their time socializing with each other or the Servants of Red, the whole of Trifas having turned into a mingling ground for Servants. Not all of them, of course. Caster of Black still tinkered with his golems in silence, Fran spent her time in the garden, Assassin of Black was missing, Berserker of Red had been forced to dematerialize with command spells.

**Vroom. Vroom.**

And the Saber of Red had been working solo with their master since the very start, according to some rumors passed onto her by her master. They'd met a few times, though. Shishigou Kairi and his Servant came by often to study the castle's structures, although they were barely let inside, only being allowed access to the gardens by Rider of Black. That fool would probably let them inside eventually and somehow let the two of them escape with the grail in tow, mark Fran's words. A frustrated grunt left her as she grasped a flower within her palm and stared at it.

**VROOM... VROOM.**

They talked during those rare visits. Saber of Red had not revealed their identity, but Fran had understood enough about them to construct an image within her head. Someone who was rough, uncouth and like a bandit on the outside with an odd core, something that she couldn't quite nail. It fascinated her. Something about that person fascinated her in a way that was completely foreign to Fran as a being. It was somewhat similar to a longing she had held within since her very creation, but linking those two together would be silly. She was delusional in some ways, but not insane.

**VROOM! VVVVRROOM!**

Finally, the strong noise caught her attention. At first she'd dismissed it as something from her imagination, yet the constant sound that was akin to a revving motor finally made the creation of Victor Frankenstein stand, her electric mace materializing in her hands as she moved closer to the wall, ear pressing against it. The sound was coming from beyond it. Was the Red faction up to something, or was Rider of Black doing something stupid again? She was unsure of which option to pick, feet squatting down for a second before suddenly bouncing upwards, sending Fran into a great leap over the garden wall and outside the fortress of Millenia.

"Finally you're fuckin' here! I was starting to think about driving through the damn wall!"

That rude tone of voice and cocky attitude could only belong to one person: Saber of Red, leaning against a black-and-red motorcyle with a grin decorating their face, eyes aimed right at Fran, who'd lifted her mace in preparation in case the noisemaker was Rider of Black. Upon noticing the red Saber her mace was lowered and eventually completely dematerialized, her eyes hidden behind loose strands of hair as she stared at the intruder. She let out a grunt revealing her distaste in being dragged out from the garden.

"Don't be like that. I came all the way over here to see ya without my Master's permission! Ya should be damn grateful."

Huh? They came to see her? Fran lifts a finger to point at herself, with the Saber of Red nodding their head in confirmation. This causes Fran to frown, head now tilting to the side and then to the other in quick succession, grunting. Why come see her? Sure, they'd talked, and Fran did harbor some interest in this Saber, but...

"You're wondering why, yeah? I dunno, no reason. You seem more interesting than half the people in this damn war, so I thought why not? I got a bike and I got a need for company that my Master just can't fill right now. I'm an instinctual person."

Saber of Red shrugged their shoulders, that grin never leaving their face. It was oddly charming in how beast-like it was, although Fran was finally starting to notice the most obvious fact she'd somehow missed up till now: Saber of Red wasn't wearing their armor. Nothing alike it, actually. Just a top and some shorts, along with a vest. It was very different to what she was used to, especially when you compared this to the usual getup of lumbering iron with sharp edges. 

They looked nice.

"So."

They kicked off from their leaning position and hopped onto the bike. It seemed... Well, it wasn't the most modern machine one could get, but Trifas had an air of "ancient" to it, especially when it came to technology. Fran had only seen 1 computer in the fortress of Millenia, and that had been in her master's room. It didn't see much use since she always unplugged it after use, and Caules had become too lazy to plug it in constantly. 

"You comin' or not?"

Fran paused. So, Saber of Red wanted to take her somewhere on that thing? Should she trust them? They were in the enemy camp, even if a ceasefire had been made between the two factions. Red and Black were still enemies, even if everyone pretended that they weren't. And she hadn't asked for her Master's permission on the matter either, although a quick probing revealed that he was already asleep. 

"uu..."

Maybe it was best to follow her instincts. And those instincts told her to leave with Saber of Red, feet moving on their own as she ended up climbing onto the motorcycle, leaning forwards to lean against them. She felt a little more secure now, grunting as a sign that she was ready to leave. Saber of Red grinned and revved up the engine up a few more times before speeding off, Fran grunting right into their ear as she tightened her grip around them. This was the first time she rode anything as speedy as this.

_04:42 AM, somewhere close to the Fortress of Millenia._

Mordred let out a relaxed sigh while leaning forwards, arms resting on the handles of their motorcycle while they stared out into the distance atop the hill they'd decided to park at. The sun wouldn't rise until about an hour passed, but they had all the time in the world. Their hand reached into their vest to draw out a pack of cigarettes, casually lighting one. The same brand that Shishigou smoked. They'd stolen it, but they were sure he wouldn't mind.

Then one eye lazily passed to stare at Berserker of Black, who'd seated herself on the grassy hill, casually picking up a few flowers, bunching them together. Flowers seemed to be important to her... Mordred had never been a fan of them. They didn't really comprehend the natural beauty oogabooga stuff a lot of people had preached them, but they wouldn't judge. 

Their drive here had been fun. They'd spend a hour just driving around the environment of the castle before heading to Trifas, speeding through the empty streets of the town, along with hitting up the rare few stores that were open at this hour. A few had given Fran some weird glances, but Mordred's angry eyes on them made them run away more often than not. The night had been fun. Just what Mordred was looking for. 

They'd taken an interest in the Berserker during the first visit. She just... Stood out. That's all there was to it at the start, but with each visit and little talk while Shishigou scoured the grounds for weaknesses their interest grew more and more until they'd come to a conclusion one night: they'd steal a bike and go see Berserker of Black. Their gambit in hoping that the quiet woman would spend some time picking up flowers outside had been well-placed, and now they were here. But why were they here, the two of them? What was the ultimate goal of this outing? Fun?

The blush on their face when Berserker suddenly turned and held out a flower for them to take should be the honest answer. They were... A bit infatuated. They could be honest with themselves for a moment, staring at the flower for an awkward moment before coughing and nabbing it, staring at it. Huh. They still couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of flowers, but they appreciated the intent behind it more than anything.

"Ah- Uh. Thanks. Thanks, I ah. Thanks." 

They mumbled to themselves before placing the flower into one of the pockets on their vest. It'd be safe there until they got back home to master, so that they could put it in a vase or something. That's what you did with flowers, right? Bedievere picked some up from time to time, but they never put any in a vase. Shit. They'd have to ask Shishigou for some instructions.

"... I had fun driving around with ya. I hope, uh. Ya did too."

Shit, where the hell was their usual slickness going?! Not that they were some ultra slick person to begin with, but they basically never stumbled on their own words! Mordred's teeth grit together in a hellish symphony. Was that one look and flower really enough to turn them inside out? What the fuck were they, some little kid looking at their crush? Aaargh.

"uu."

Berserker slowly nodded her head, and then again, and again, until she was nodding pretty quickly. She felt pleased by this evening as well. Saber of Red was good company, and had kept her safe during the drive, despite her doubts about the whole thing. And she had to admit that they were... Nice to look at. In an ironic twist, the infatuation was very much mutual, even if it was only on the surface level. 

Mordred sighed and swiped a little bit of sweat from their forehead. Just that nodding was enough to calm them down a lot and then some, eyes flicking back to stare out into the horizon. No sun up in the sky yet, although they could see some cars in the horizon, driving down the multiple little roads covering the area around Trifas. Seems like people were starting to wake up. Going to work and whatnot. Mordred even felt a little jealous... But only for a moment. A normal life sounded neat in concept, but their honor as a servant was more than enough to offset it and focus on more important things.

"Uu...? Uu! Aah! Uh, uh!"

Suddenly Berserker sprung to life, pointing out into the horizon. Mordred raised their brow and turned to look back to the road and the fortress looming in the background, squinting pretty hard. They didn't understand what Berserker was pointing towards, head tilting with a cocked brow.

"Huh?"

Berserker let out a loud groan before suddenly grabbing Mordred's hand, tapping furiously at the back of it. A red hue took their face over again from shock, eyes practically nailed to the back of their hand as a consequence. More grunting ensued as Berserker tapped with desperation. Back of the hand, back of the hand, what was on the back of the han-

"Your master?"

Berserker nodded. Huh, so her master was concerned for her? Guess that was heartwarming to some extent, but it also meant that Berserker was gonna be in some trouble if she was found all the way out here with an enemy servant. Sure, ceasefire and whatever, but it'd still look mighty suspicious if everyone found out that Berserker left during the night, without any announcement...

"Alright. Hop on, then. I'll get ya home before you get caught out here. It's just fair, right? Dragged ya all the way out here on my own and all."

This was a little bit selfish of them, but there was no use in crying over spilled milk. Mordred reached a hand out and pat the spot behind them with a confident grin, with Berserker nodding her head. There was a little smile as she sat down behind them and wrapped her hands around them again, holding tightly onto the flowers she'd managed to pick as Mordred set off, motor roaring loudly as they headed back towards the fortress of Millenia.

_05:25 AM, Fortress of Millenia._

The cycle came to a screeching halt right next to the wall where Fran had been picked off at, her figure leaping off from behind Saber of Red, half in relief at getting home safely, half in an attempt to get away from them. Not due to fear, but to rather the fact that she'd started to get a bit embarrassed from clinging onto someone for so long. Physical contact was always awkward for her.

"Phew..."

Saber wheezed and leaned back. Their ass was starting to get a bit numb from all of this sitting and driving around, but they weren't going to complain to Fran. She smiled and bowed her head in an apology, although they dismissed it with a wave of their hand.

"Eeh? What're ya bowing your head for? I was happy to help. Since your master didn't find us, I'm sure you're gonna be fine."

Fran let out a grunt of approval and stared to the wall. The sun was starting to peek out in the distance, and the flowers she'd gathered were still in her grasp, mostly unharmed outside of a little bump where she slightly mishandled them. They'd still do fine in a vase, so she didn't bother to complain about it. And Saber of Red was there, a little sweaty and tired from all the driving around.

They still looked nice. A bit more than nice, actually.

"Well... I guess I should start heading back. I had a really good time, ya know. Maybe we could, uh. Do this again some night, if ya wanna. Or day. Wouldn't have to worry about people getting in a fit over us doing stuff when everyone else's asleep. Not that I mind that either! Any time hanging out with you's fine with me, actually, I just uh. Another time."

They were cute. Fran let out a scraping noise that sounded like a laugh, taking a few steps forwards as her upper body bent forwards a bit, mismatched eyes peeking out from behind the strands to stare at Saber of Red.

"Uu."

The flustered face they had the closer she got was cute. They were cute. Fran didn't usually consider people "cute" on any level, after all, she was beyond humanity. Only someone of her own kin could ever truly fit her and make her wheel whole and "real" in any sense, but she felt an odd twang for this one. Something about them made her feel nice. 

"I should get going, shouldn't I? My master's gonna wake up soon, and--"

Smooch. A little one on the lips, and Fran took a few steps back. The smile on her face had grown to noticeable levels as she nodded and waved her hand. Next time would be nice. Maybe tomorrow? Or the day after, if they needed a break. Whatever the case, she wanted to see them again. She wanted to spend a little more time with them again. She wanted to be with them again.

"... S-See... S-See y...you."

The voice of Frankenstein's Monster was frail as she leaped back over the garden wall, landing right on her usual circle of flowers, feet shaking as she fell onto her knees. While she'd played cool outside of the walls, inside she fell apart into a little mess of red and white as the flowers in her hand shook with it, breathing uneven until she felt a hand on her shoulder, head flinging upwards to stare.

Caules.

"Hey. I spent ages looking for you, but-"

He notices the flowers in her shaky hand and lets out a relieved sigh.

"I see you were just getting flowers. You should really tell me next time you go out, okay? I'm just a bit worried."

Fran let out a slow groan and nodded her head. Next time she'd tell him, for sure. She'd tell him all about Saber of Red and how she wanted to spend more time with them. Maybe he and Saber's master could get along.

_06:51 AM, Trifas._

"I'm **HOOME!** "

Mordred kicked the makeshift door to the crypt off of it's hinges, sending it flying right back into a stony wall as they entered and flopped themselves down onto a grave-turned-bed. Shishigou stared at them from his sitting spot, toying along with a heart he'd secured from the local black market. It'd make for a great bomb later on.

"Hey. You weren't here when I woke up."

Shishigou's statement was met with a pillow being thrown right towards him, hand casually blocking the projectile as it slid down onto the floor. He sighed and grabbed a needle, inserting it into the heart as it slowly began to beat, poison pumping in and out of it without actually leaving the heart, a sort of sustained magical reaction that could end in a horrible explosion whenever he wanted it to.

"Sheesh. I wasn't going to be bugging you about it or anything. We're heading back to the fortress in a few hours, so get a little cat nap in. I'm sure we'll find some way to the grail if we look hard enough, and those dumbasses are willing enough to host us a bit."

Mordred had already turned onto their side, smiling to themselves as a hand slid into their pocket. Soon the white flower given to them was taken out, holding it close to their face as they examined the petals. White like her dress. The smile grew even wider as they planted a little kiss on it. God, one little kiss and a flower and they'd become this sappy already? Gawain would kick their ass and laugh at them forever for being this mushy.

"Alright, you're the boss. I'm glad we're going."

Shishigou didn't quite get that last part, but shrugged his shoulders as he returned to tinkering while Mordred fell into the first peaceful, nice sleep they'd had in hundreds of years.


End file.
